My big fat Muslim wedding: Brides get choices

The first ever Muslim Bridal Expo hosted by www.PerfectMuslimWedding.com, took place in Newark on Sept. 20, 2015, and showcased a variety of gown that featured modest — but not plain — designs. Mainstream gowns are often too revealing for Muslim women, who need to cover up, not expose their chests, arms, legs or midriffs on the big day.

Photo: Connor Radnovich, The Chronicle

Choices, choices — today’s bride has more freedom than ever when dressing for her wedding, from sleeveless sheaths and strapless mini dresses to floor-length gowns with sexy, plunging necklines.

But with all the emphasis on showing off the body beautiful, where does a Muslim bride — who needs to cover up, not bare it all — turn for something appropriate for the big day?

More by Carolyne Zinko

Not the mainstream market, said Javed Mohammed, a Silicon Valley engineer and marketer whose daughter, Aliyah, had a tough time when she was planning her wedding 2½ years ago. The family looked at websites, including the Knot, Maharani Wedding and magazines galore, but struggled to find suitable gowns.

“We live in a culture where if you have it, you can flaunt it,” said Mohammed. However, he noted, “There can be beauty in modesty.”

Gowns aside, the family also had trouble finding inspiration and advice for event planning. Muslim weddings typically contain multiple events over several days and may draw 200 to 400 guests. Moreover, Muslims are found in more than 50 countries, each with their own cultural traditions, he said.

“Muslims are a pretty diverse group, with a lot of nationalities,” Mohammed said, “and there was nothing out there that brought it all together.”

The site, run by Mohammed, features a blog, links to inspirational ideas, wedding photo submissions, lists of vendors and professional wedding-planning services ($250 to $5,000 or more), and coaching services for the writing and delivery of wedding speeches ($50 to $299).

My big fat Muslim wedding: Brides get choices

1of 15Some Muslim brides like to wear white — and pair their gowns with headscarves. Sometimes gowns with shorter sleeves or no sleeves are altered to add longer sleeves for more coverage.Photo: Connor Radnovich, The Chronicle

2of 15Color is important to some Muslim brides, while others prefer white.Photo: Connor Radnovich, The Chronicle

3of 15Models show off different styles of wedding dresses at the Muslim Bridal Expo in Newark.Photo: Connor Radnovich, The Chronicle

4of 15One of the more interesting aspects of the Muslim Bridal Expo’s fashion show was the pairing of male and female models to show options for both bride and groom.Photo: Connor Radnovich, The Chronicle

5of 15Need long sleeves? They had it covered at the Muslim Bridal Expo on Sept. 20, 2015.Photo: Connor Radnovich, The Chronicle

6of 15Models were adorned with jewelry to match their dresses at the Perfect Muslim Wedding Expo in Newark, California, on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015.Photo: Connor Radnovich, The Chronicle

14of 15Models show off different styles of wedding dresses at the Perfect Muslim Wedding Expo in Newark, California, on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015.Photo: Connor Radnovich, The Chronicle

15of 15“Muslims are a pretty diverse group, with a lot of nationalities,” said Javed Mohammed, founder of www.PerfectMuslimWedding.com, host of the Muslim Bridal Expo.Photo: Connor Radnovich, The Chronicle

On Sept. 20, the company hosted its first Muslim Bridal Expo, a four-hour event with fashion show at the Doubletree Hotel in Newark, billed as the first bridal expo in the U.S. specifically geared toward a Muslim audience. An extensive runway show, directed by Farah Ghatala, featured three segments and showcased white, Western-style bridal gowns by Donna Anderson, followed by flowing and colorful (maroon, blue, teal, chartreuse, orange, blush) lace-embellished and embroidered South Asian and Indo-Pacific gowns, some by Nzinga Knight, who brought modest fashion to TV’s “Project Runway.” About 300 people attended.

Search the Internet for other resources for South Asian brides and you’ll find they’re few and far between.

Dulhania Bazaar, a company in Phoenix, presents South Asian bridal expos with Bollywood style and event planning tips in the Midwest and on the East Coast. The South Asian Bridal Expo & Fashion Show, advertised as the largest bridal expo for South Asians in Southern California, takes place in Ontario (San Bernadino County) Sunday, Oct. 4.

Meriem Hassan (center) and her daughters 2-year-old Noor Hassan (left) and 4-year-old Melek Hassan keep an eye on the runway.

Photo: Connor Radnovich, The Chronicle

San Francisco’s www.maharaniwedding.com also caters to South Asian brides (Bengalis, Muslims, Pakistanis, Indians). It was created seven years ago by finance and marketing professional Shawna Garg after she also had trouble finding resources for her Indian wedding. She said it draws web traffic from as far away as the Netherlands, South Africa and Australia, as well as the U.S.

“I was a very enthusiastic bride, borderline bridezilla,” Garg said. “I was an American girl, but I have Indian values. The question was how you infuse those sides into your wedding day?”

Among the vendors at the Muslim Bridal Expo: Mehr Hair of Campbell, a salon that creates elaborate updos, positions head jewelry (tikkas and jhumars) and pins veils in place; Purple Impression of Fremont, which sources ethical, hand-embroidered garments from Pakistan; and Chutney, a Pakistani restaurant that offers catering for groups as large as 400 (its chicken haleem is a specialty).

Others included Hijabefy of Monterey, a boutique selling long-sleeve sequined gowns for bridesmaids and special occasions; Los Angeles jeweler Rosh Blosh; and Haute Curry of Palo Alto, with handmade special occasion gowns of silk or cotton in the reds that South Asian brides prefer, along with other hues.

An assortment necklaces and headpieces by jewelry designer Kulsoom Afridi of Rosh Blosh in Southern California were among the wares displayed.

Photo: Connor Radnovich, The Chronicle

Just as people of all faiths vary in adherence to the laws, customs and values of their religions, so did attendees of the expo. Some of the female attendees wore no head coverings, while others wore headscarves, or hijabs, and one wore a niqab, which covered her face except for her eyes.

Sarah Ghanbari, 26, of San Jose, a systems engineer, browsed with her fiance, Murrad Kazalbash, 28, a bioengineer in Irvine, looking for ideas for their upcoming wedding on Jan. 2, 2016.

“I bought a dress from David’s Bridal, which is being altered to add more coverage,” said Ghanbari. “It needs sleeves and a higher neckline. There aren’t many options out there.”

As a cultural event, the expo seemed a success. “We wanted to show attendees what’s available and that everyone could adapt to what works for their family and how they see things,” Mohammed said. “This brought heaven and earth together for me.”

Carolyne Zinko, a native of Wisconsin, joined The San Francisco Chronicle in 1993 as a news reporter covering Peninsula crime, city government and political races. She worked as the paper’s society columnist from 2000 to 2004, when she wrote about the lifestyles of the rich but not necessarily famous. Since then, she has worked for the Sunday Style and Datebook sections, covering gala night openings and writing trend pieces. Her profiles of personalities have included fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone and Emanuel Ungaro fashion house owner Asim Abdullah, to name a few. In a six-month project with The Chronicle’s investigative team, she recently revealed the misleading practices of a San Francisco fashion charity that took donations from wealthy philanthropists but donated little to the stated cause of helping the developmentally disabled. On the lifestyle front, her duties also including writing about cannabis culture for The Chronicle and its cannabis website, www.GreenState.com website.